Lake Metigoshe State Park is a public recreation area occupying some on the shores of

Lake Metigoshe Lake Metigoshe is a lake in both Bottineau County, North Dakota and the Rural Municipality of Winchester, Manitoba. The lake has a maximum depth of . It is located in the Turtle Mountains on the Canada–United States border The border ...

in the Turtle Mountains, 14 miles northeast of Bottineau,

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

, on the Canada–US border. The state park lies adjacent to the southwest corner of the much larger

Turtle Mountain Provincial Park Turtle Mountain Provincial Park is a provincial park located in the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Within it are the Adam Lake and Max Lake campgrounds. The park is known for its bike trails, fishing, back country cabi ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

. A small portion of the lake extends northward into the

Rural Municipality of Winchester The Rural Municipality of Winchester is a former rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was originally incorporated as a rural municipality on November 1, 1890. It ceased on January 1, 2015 as a result of its provincially ...

but is not part of either park.

History

The name Lake Metigoshe is derived from the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

phrase ''mitigoshi-waashegami-zaaga'igan'' meaning "clearwater lake of scrub-oaks." The area was also once home to the Blackfoot,

Hidatsa The Hidatsa are a Siouan people. They are enrolled in the federally recognized Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Their language is related to that of the Crow, and they are sometimes considered a parent ...

, and

Assiniboine people The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakod ...

s. The park was developed by workers with the

WPA WPA may refer to: Computing *Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard *Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing * Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada * Windows Performance An ...

who arrived at the site beginning in 1934. Their improvements included construction of a lodge, recreation rooms large enough for 200 people, roads, and various out buildings. A stone inscribed "WPA 1938" found near the park entrance commemorates their work. The park was formally established on February 17, 1937.

Activities and amenities

The park offers swimming, canoeing, sailing, water-skiing and other water sports, modern and primitive camping areas, and picnicking. Lake Metigoshe has northern pike, walleye, and perch for fishing. Winter activities include snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, skating, sledding, and ice fishing. The Turtle Mountain Outdoor Learning Center offers ecology, conservation, and outdoor recreation programs.

Events

The Club de Skinautique water-skiers practice and perform on Lake Metigoshe. Known as the "Skinautiques," the club has performed water skiing shows every summer since 1958.

References

External links

Lake Metigoshe State Park
North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department
Lake Metigoshe State Park Map
North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department {{authority control State parks of North Dakota Protected areas established in 1937 1937 establishments in North Dakota Protected areas of Bottineau County, North Dakota Works Progress Administration in North Dakota Nature centers in North Dakota Metigoshe Metigoshe